OUR COMPANY EXISTS TO RESTORE DEGRADED TROPICAL FOREST AND WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS
OUR COMPANY
Forest Carbon restores degraded wetland forests. Our company is a premium restoration project developer in Southeast Asia that delivers benefits for local communities, biodiversity and investors through a proven business model. With offices in Jakarta and Singapore, Forest Carbon’s team brings is built on a track record of success in the region. The team brings a decade of experience working on the ground, from mapping wetlands and assessing below-ground carbon storage, to hiring local workers and obtaining community support.
Forest Carbon relies on this technical expertise and a growing pipeline of project opportunities to secure millions in private sector investment for threatened ecosystems. Forest Carbon’s Sumatra Merang Peatland Project is now a proven business model for large-scale restoration, with more than 5 million Euro in investment capital raised. Sales secured from major global brands support restoration efforts on more than 22,000 hectares, which reduces the risk of fire, strengthens the rural economy and creates jobs, and delivers returns for investors and partners.
This type of environmental and social performance is integrated into every level of Forest Carbon’s operations and management systems. Forest Carbon is scaling this successful approach by investing in technology with the potential to transform the way restoration is delivered at scale. IoT Sensors and other monitoring tools enable rapid development of new restoration projects that protect threatened ecosystems, an effort which must increase substantially to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.
OUR TEAM
JEFFREY CHATELLIER
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Mr. Chatellier is a conservation scientist and the CEO of Forest Carbon, a forest restoration and conservation company with offices in Jakarta and Singapore. Mr. Chatellier has advised major corporations, multi-lateral institutions, and governments on conservation finance, forestry, and sustainability for over 14 years in Southeast Asia. As the Director for Forest Carbon’s Sumatra Merang Peatland Project, Mr. Chatellier has established a proven business model for large-scale tropical forest restoration. Launched with a $6 million investment from the UK-based Althelia Climate Fund, the project has now secured long term sales contracts totaling over 25,000,000 to major global brands to fund project operations across more than 22,000 hectares. Mr. Chatellier designed the project, which reduces the risk of fire, restores a habitat for endangered species, strengthens local communities and delivers returns for investors and partners. Since 2020, Mr. Chatellier has raised 24 million USD in equity and debt financing for Forest Carbon from UK based AXA Investment Manager and Saratoga Investama. Mr. Chatellier is now focused on building a portfolio of forestry assets to accommodate rising demand in the natural climate solutions sector, with the objective of protecting 1,000,000 hectares of mangrove, peatland and tropical forest areas by 2026. Mr. Chatellier holds a BA in International Affairs from George Washington University and a Master of Environmental Science (MESc) from Yale University and is a former Fulbright Research Scholar at the Institute of Technology Bandung in Indonesia.
DEVAN WARDWELL
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Devan raises capital to launch the company’s new forest restoration projects. Devan has designed and evaluated business models for multiple companies and clients across Southeast Asia, including community forests, stranded assets, national parks and privately-financed carbon offset projects. In addition to overseeing the growth strategy for the company, Devan leads communications, sales and business development, drawing on a decade of relationship building stakeholder management. With an early career for the humanitarian NGO Mercy Corps, Devan has seen climate risk emerge firsthand while working on community mitigation programming in northern Mali and Niger. Devan has also managed humanitarian response communications in post-earthquake Haiti and served as a Small Enterprise Development volunteer while in the Peace Corps in Guinea, West Africa.
MARY OSMOND
DIRECTOR OF LEGAL & EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Mary holds a law degree from Atmajaya University, an LLM from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and is a member of the Indonesian Bar Association (PERADI). She is an expert on conservation law in Indonesia and acts as the primary compliance officer for the Sumatra Merang Peatland Project. Mary brings diverse experience to the team and has drafted regulatory frameworks for the Indonesian executive branch and worked with investors and local businesses as the head legal adviser for the Indonesian Netherlands Association. Mary has also advised on land tenure and licensing strategy for multiple organizations, including FFI, Winrock and the IFC.
JOSH VAN VIANEN
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Josh draws on a diverse background, with over 13 years of experience researching ecosystems and managing large-scale initiatives across – both across the tropics and in his native country of New Zealand. An ecologist by training, Josh has conducted extensive research on a diverse range of topics related to conservation, forestry, integrated landscape management and ecosystem services. Josh also developed a deep understanding of the social and environmental issues surrounding forests and degradation across the tropics while at the Center for International Forest Research (CIFOR) in Indonesia, which led him to his current role leading project feasibility assessments as Technical Unit Manager for Forest Carbon.
ANNE MARIA HERMANS
REGIONAL DIRECTOR
Anne is an accomplished professional with a strong track record in emerging markets. Over the past seven years, she has held various leadership positions at VC / Venture Builder Rocket Internet, where she has honed her expertise in operations and successfully built and scaled companies of different sizes. From small teams of 5 to larger organizations with 750 employees, Anne has consistently navigated the challenges that come with rapid growth. With four years of experience in Indonesia, Anne has developed a thorough understanding of the local market and its unique dynamics. This experience has not only sharpened her business acumen but has also fueled her passion for creating a positive impact. Anne is genuinely committed to making a difference and is driven by the desire to contribute to Forest Carbon’s meaningful cause.
ADVISORS
TOM HOUSTON
BOARD CHAIR
Tom is a well-known international, corporate and environmental lawyer who has also served as Founder & CEO of several international non-profit organizations and green technology companies. He is experienced in the management of investor pools and in the formation and funding of special purpose funds. In addition, as a former government official, lobbyist and attorney, Tom has written many laws and regulations as well as regulatory protocols for trade organizations and associations. In 2008, he served as the Managing Partner of Global Eco Rescue Ltd. A developer of REDD projects in Indonesia and other countries with offices in Jakarta, Geneva and London.
COLIN MOORE
CHIEF TECHNICAL ADVISER
An alumnus of Forest Carbon, Colin is a Business and Conservation Adviser for Wildlife Conservation Service in Laos. Colin is a seasoned technical and policy expert in the design, implementation and monitoring of projects and programs in the forestry, conservation, restoration, and sustainable agriculture spaces. Colin wide range of skills include the identification of drivers of land-use change, design of mitigation actions, and accounting of GHG emissions. His professional experience spans Central America, Africa and Southeast Asia, where he has supported governments, private sector companies and public sector organizations through collaborative engagement to deliver positive climate, biodiversity and social benefits at scale.
PERRY NAGLE
SENIOR ADVISOR
Perry specializes in project management, finance, and general management and capacity building. He first came to Indonesia in 1993 and has over 25 years’ experience as a corporate lawyer in private practice and as general counsel of multinational corporations. Perry currently advises government and private sector leaders on a wide range of issues including stakeholder engagement, strategy and capacity building, government relations and crisis management. He has advised on the establishment of numerous foreign direct investment projects and acted as a consultant on projects involving the Indonesian government and international agencies such as the IFC and USAID. Perry speaks fluent Indonesian and is a graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle and Cornell Law School. He began his career with Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy in New York City, where he specialized in corporate finance.
CHRISTIAN DONN
SENIOR SUSTAINABILITY AND COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIST
Chris is leading resource development and external communication initiatives with investors and donors at Forest Carbon. He has over 20 years of experience in strategic communications with IFES, the World Bank, the United Nations and Universal, among others. Chris specializes in engagement and stakeholder management, experience gained while working for international organizations, corporate and government clients in more than 25 countries across Asia, the Americas and Europe. Prior to joining Forest Carbon, Chris was based in Jakarta from where he managed a large-scale public policy advocacy program across eight countries in Southeast Asia for five years. Chris holds an MBA from ESCP Business School in Paris along with Certificates in Sustainable Business Strategy from Harvard, Stanford, and Imperial College.